Rape case 'an awakening' for India, victim's father says

By CNN Staff
updated 2:28 PM EST, Wed January 9, 2013

... "Society can no longer turn a blind eye to these sorts of incidents, which are happening every day," the woman's father told the British television network ITV. "We have to change ourselves. If there are no changes, then these horrible things won't stop. The public has to wake up now."

The victim was a physiotherapy student who was expecting to start a hospital internship this month. Her father said she wanted to be a doctor "right from the start," largely to help her family escape poverty.

"Her main aim was that our family would not have to suffer anymore," he said. "She wanted to put the difficult life behind us. Why bow to our poverty? She also wanted to make sure that I didn't have to keep working hard late in life."

Five men were charged with murder, rape and kidnapping, and could be sentenced to death if convicted. A juvenile court will take up the matter of determining the age of a sixth suspect, who claims to be 17 and therefore not old enough to be tried as an adult ...